I apologize so often I should soon be numbered among the apologists. But every December it’s the same story. Since everything in the publishing business ends up being due “before Christmas,” all projects bunch up in three crazy weeks. I’m just now dotting the last i and crossing the last t. I’m also crossing my eyes and wishing for Z’s.

OK, so rank me among the martyrs instead. Now that the annual whining’s out of the way …

I have a lot of catching up to do, thanks to all of you who sent me wondrous links. I’ll post some with this note.

You’ve probably seen the news about the big antiquities bust in Italy. David Meadows offers a great round-up of stories. In the photo at MSNBC you can make out an early-Christian mosaic among the loot.

It pays to wait: Adrian Murdoch gives us the definitive word on the significance of the ancient battlefield discovered in Germany. (Adrian also has launched a new option for your old-news-gathering: Bread and Circuses by email.)

Adrian also posted a good summary of the big Byzantine coin hoard found in Jerusalem. You know, I could keep posting links to Adrian’s archives from the last couple of weeks, or you could just go browse them yourself!